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In-Depth Analysis of the Anno 1800 Console Version

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With the release of Anno 1800 Console Edition, 2019’s best PC colony builder is now playable on PS5, and we were relieved to find that the port went smoothly.Everything that used to require a mouse and keyboard is now perfectly at home on a console, and thanks to DualSense, it’s even better than ever.

In Anno 1800, you play as a businessman during the Industrial Revolution who wants to create a prosperous trading empire. So that your people on an isolated island group can always enjoy the comforts of modern life, you must grow raw materials and make consumer goods.If you decide that the pros are more important than the cons, your tough townies will become spoiled bourgeoisie and maybe even aristocrats.

As you progress through society, you’ll get access to new structures that will allow you to grow your business and interact with the outside world. Nearby islands may be occupied by either the intelligent computer (with its own unique personality and playstyle, á la the Civilization series) or as many as sixteen human players.

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The PC version of the game has been updated over the years, and this console edition includes all of those updates for free. Overall, it’s a rare treat on the PS5 and PS4 in that it’s a strategy game that’s both highly replayable and a bit arcade-y (at least in comparison to something like the recent and more meticulous Transport Fever 2).

There is a long, fully voice-acted, single-player story campaign that is both a tutorial and a nice addition to the game. It is based on a Dickensian story about family drama.After your businessman father dies too soon, your evil, mustache-twirling Uncle Everard robs you and your siblings and leaves you with the bill for his funeral.

You need to take over the family business and build a successful trading company, and the foundation of this enterprise is your farmers. If you have access to cheap building supplies and some spare cash, you can quickly and easily construct crude shacks for them to live in. To keep them content, however, you’ll need to construct and manage fisheries (fish), grow potatoes for distilling into rough alcohol (schnapps), and raise sheep for making sturdy garments out of their woolen fleeces (work clothes). In addition, they’d require a market to stock up on supplies and a pub to wash away the stresses of the day.

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Farmers have the lowest demand, but they need a steady supply of the above materials to keep going. This means that there needs to be a strong industrial complex and logistics infrastructure.After a person’s basic needs have been met, you can help them move up the social ladder by improving their living conditions by upgrading their home.

As an example of the exponential snowball effect this has, consider that the third class of citizens (out of six), the artisans, need everything the farmer does plus sausages, bread, soap, canned food, sewing machines, fur coats, rum, and convenient access to universities, churches, and variety theaters. This trend continues as colonial powers expand into the New World to meet the rising demand for coffee and chocolate among well-heeled engineers and investors.

To top it all off, workers are likely to revolt if they suddenly lose access to these conveniences (or if they are worked just a little too hard). And since the rioting workers aren’t working (and thus aren’t paying taxes), they’ll spend all day persuading the poor to band together in violent mobs to overthrow the government.

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The most important part of the game’s strategy is making sure that your new colony is set up and built in the best way possible.You can establish diplomatic or military relations with your neighbors, trade goods and services, and more by sending one of your ships out. Combat is a last resort and not the main focus, but it is there if all else fails.

The PlayStation version has a completely new way to control the game, which is a great way to adapt what is basically a classic PC strategy game.While the learning curve is steep, DualSense makes diving into the weeds of that particularly thorny street a breeze once you’ve got the hang of it. The Annopedia, which includes every conceivable detail about the game’s numerous intricate mechanisms, is also brand new and significantly more comprehensive than the tutorial was in the original release.

Even though the Console Edition sometimes loses frames when zooming in on very busy streets, this happens rarely and doesn’t take away from the experience as a whole. A late-game colony, especially one handcrafted by someone who takes offense at the very idea of asymmetry, is a sight to behold, especially on a large screen. It’s dramatic music to match your imperial aspirations.

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Even with the expanded tutorial and Annopedia, there is still a steep learning curve to be aware of.Anno 1800 is not necessarily “fun” at first because of its complexity. Rather, the fun is in the journey itself, from carefully tending to your ever-demanding populace to achieve greatness to optimizing your enterprise before competing on the global stage.

Conclusion
Anno 1800 Console Edition takes a deep and rewarding PC strategy game and makes it work well on a console. Anyone looking for a more arcade-style management sim will feel right at home with the game’s engaging mechanics and insane amount of replay value (not to mention multiplayer).

Pros:

Complex commercial and industrial infrastructures.
fascinatingly competitive element.
Absolutely stunning visuals and audio.

The potential for repetition is insane.

Cons:

Complexity can be intimidating.
Drops in frame rate may occur in busy areas.

As Editor here at GeekReply, I'm a big fan of all things Geeky. Most of my contributions to the site are technology related, but I'm also a big fan of video games. My genres of choice include RPGs, MMOs, Grand Strategy, and Simulation. If I'm not chasing after the latest gear on my MMO of choice, I'm here at GeekReply reporting on the latest in Geek culture.

Consoles

Eating trash, Pizza Possum destroys the PS5

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Pizza Possum is an arcade action game in which you, a possum, attempt to consume as much trash as you can without being discovered.  It is a web-based sequel to the anarchy simulator Untitled Goose Game.It will eventually be available on the PS5.

We couldn’t help but notice that the possum in the title doesn’t look like the cute Australian possum that comes out at night to visit people.On the other hand, it looks like the horrible North American opossums are the ones that will attack trash cans and cause general chaos.Even though we think the second choice was better in terms of theme, we prefer the first one and are happy to explain why.

Your thoughts on Pizza Possum?  Does it possess the necessary mass appeal to successfully skitter along the back fenceline while setting the dog off in the process?

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The Mercenaries, a free piece of DLC for Resident Evil 4 Remake, launches on April 7

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Resident Evil 4 is now out, and the excellent remake can be bought right away.Even though you probably plan to play it all this weekend, you can take comfort in the fact that The Mercenaries, Resident Evil’s almost-required challenge mode, will be available as free DLC on April 7.

The mode’s exact details are still unknown, but if it’s anything like previous versions, you can expect some pretty hard tasks to test your skills.

You’re stumped about something? If you are still debating whether to purchase Resident Evil 4 Remake, be sure to look at our exhaustive guide for the answer or our in-depth review. Are you spending this weekend playing Resident Evil 4? Are you anticipating The Mercenaries?

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In June, Park Beyond for PS5 will allow you to create impossible theme parks

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A brand-new trailer for the upcoming amusement park management game Park Beyond from Bandai Namco has been made available. While it appears to be generally comparable to other games in the genre, the hook here is “impossifying” rides to up their difficulty. The video gives a brief description of what you’ll be doing.

There will be two primary game modes. In the first, you can play a story mode in which you aid a failing theme park firm in achieving success by adding imaginative attractions, and in the second, you can play a sandbox mode in which you can create any kind of wacky park you choose. Adding absurd components to your rides—like launchers that transport a train of rollercoaster carts from one rail to another or ferris wheels that resemble the interior of a clock—is essentially the same as making them appear more impossible. There is a lot of creative work on display.

The PS5 release date for Park Beyond, which is now available for pre-order, is June 16, 2023. If you pre-order, you’ll receive a Pac-Man-themed Expansion pack that includes amusement rides, retail establishments, performers, and a slew of other decorations. Last but not least, if you pre-order one of the game’s deluxe editions, you’ll also receive the Zombeyond pack, which includes a variety of zombie-themed goods.

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